Monday 24 October 2011

Sven's departure leaves Leicester shell-shocked


Sven-Goran Eriksson has left his position as Leicester City manager by mutual consent following talks with club owners earlier this evening, the official site has confirmed.




© Matt Beighton, Flickr



First team coach Derek Fazackerly has also left the club, meaning that academy director Jon Rudkin and coach Mike Stowell will take charge ahead of Leicester's trip to West Ham United this Saturday.


The decision appears to be a reactionary one following Leicester's 3-0 home loss to Millwall at the weekend and the former England manager's departure has left the majority of Foxes supporters stunned. Eriksson joined the club in September 2010 with Leicester in the bottom three of the Championship following a torrid start to the season under former manager Paolo Sousa which saw the Foxes pick up five points in their opening nine games.


Despite an inconsistent start to the Championship campaign which saw the Foxes falling into the bottom half of the table, Leicester remain two points outside the playoffs, having lost just two of their last 10 league games.


While the club remains in a solid financial position with a strong core of excellent players, rumours are likely to circulate in the upcoming days over the future of the club and the vacant position.

Tuesday 18 October 2011

St Andrews setback keeps Foxes' feet on the ground


Leicester's 2-0 loss to Birmingham City on Sunday was an indication that despite a recent run of good form, there is still work to be done before Sven-Goran Eriksson can consider his side a legitimate promotion contender.





© Jon Candy, Flickr

Matt Mills (left) faces a three-match suspension after his red card



The Foxes were undone by a second-half penalty and a breakaway goal after Matt Mills was shown a red card by substitute referee Kevin Wright for a two-footed tackle, although the former England manager had no complaints with either decision after he witnessed his side suffer their first away league defeat of the season. Instead, Eriksson is more likely to be concerned about his side's poor second-half display in spite of his captain's dismissal.

The result was in stark contrast to the Foxes' last televised game at the start of October which saw them demolish local rivals Derby County in a season-best 4-0 win. Leicester looked shell-shocked after falling behind early in the second-half against Birmingham and never recovered. The midfield play was erratic and never controlled the game, leaving strikers David Nugent and Darius Vassell little to work with. Richie Wellens and Jermaine Beckford were given too little time to have any real impact on the game, and Kasper Schmeichel was uncharacteristically out of position for the second goal.

A quarter of the way into the season, Leicester have shown significant improvement after a slow start which saw them lose their opening two home games. They were undefeated in seven before the international break and kept four consecutive clean sheets after the centre-back pairing of Matt Mills and Sol Bamba began to solidify. In this time, Leicester have knocked Southampton, Brighton and Derby off the top of the table, and yet have struggled in games against mid-table sides – much to the frustration of Foxes fans.

After 11 games, there can be no excuses. Expectations are too high for that. The settling in period is over. There have been glimpses of excellence this season and times when every individual element has come together nicely. But the loss against Birmingham was a harsh wake-up call that this will be a long and difficult season, and that nothing will simply be handed to them.

Of course, there are upsides. Leicester have a chance to quickly put this loss behind them with a game against Watford tomorrow night at the King Power Stadium, and Sven-Goran Eriksson has an almost fully fit squad to choose from – one with such depth and quality that would make other Championship managers envious. In terms of league form, Leicester have also won their last three home games and have scored eight goals in those wins, while Watford have won just two of their opening 11 games. Finally, Leicester are just two points outside of the playoff places – and five points outside the automatic promotion places. These are encouraging signs, but Eriksson will expect his players to respond and play significantly better than they did at the weekend.

With Leicester City in the national media spotlight this season, the pressure is on Sven-Goran Eriksson. Anything less than promotion in May will be regarded a failure. But for now, Sunday's loss should be considered a minor blip. One defeat in eight games is hardly reason to panic. The Championship is a tough, physical league, but alarm bells should not be ringing just yet. The side is good enough to quickly return to winning ways.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Great Expectations






Whether England's next generation has the potential to accomplish what the current setup has not been able to – win a major tournament




© Michael Radtke, Flickr


The England national team travel to Montenegro this week for a crucial qualifying match on Friday night. A win or draw in Podgorica would ensure progression to the Euro 2012 finals next summer, while a loss would leave England's qualification hopes out of their own hands and resting in the balance of a play-off match. England's opponents will prove a much more difficult challenge than many are anticipating, given that Montenegro have conceded just three goals in six qualifiers. However, England are expected to advance to the finals next year – but what is everyone expecting with the current setup?

Even the most patriotic fan will tell you that England have fallen way below expectation in recent tournaments, dating back to a semi-final appearance at Euro 1996. Current FIFA world rankings rate England as the eighth best team in the world (which arguably flatters Fabio Capello's side) – but at times they seem so far behind their European counterparts – Spain, Netherlands and Germany to name a few - who are ranked higher, and for good reason. England have also struggled against Croatia and Russia in recent times, not to mention supposed 'unknowns' like their Eastern European opponents this weekend.

Critics argue that England have been reliant on the same players for too long – without success. John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole, who have all enjoyed lengthy international careers, have been the core of the side for many years. But time catches up - now all five are over the age of 30 – so should Capello look to the future sooner rather than later? Some of those players may soon not be considered for another major tournament – be it next year's finals, or those in 2014. Germany are a side who have proven that such a method works, with coach Joachim Loew opting for future starlets at the time Thomas Mueller and Mesut Ozil ahead of more experienced players at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa – a choice which resulted in Germany reaching the semi-finals of the tournament, Mueller winning the Golden Boot and Ozil transferring to Spanish giants Real Madrid in the summer.

Should England consider a similar approach for Euro 2012? Here are some of the players who could feature in that squad – and in future tournaments to come.

Defenders

Chris Smalling (Manchester United), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Micah Richards (Manchester City), Kieran Gibbs (Arsenal), Kyle Naughton, (Norwich City), Ryan Bertrand (Chelsea)

First off, Joe Hart appears likely to hold the number one goalkeeper's spot for some time. But some England's centre backs are ageing. Capello has already handed international debuts to Chris Smalling and Kieran Gibbs, but might consider Phil Jones as an option after forging a successful partnership with Smalling at Manchester United. Jones has also been impressive at England U-21 level, which boosts his chances of featuring next summer – should he receive sufficient playing time under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Kyle Walker enjoyed a successful loan spell at Aston Villa last season before rejoining parent club Tottenham Hotspur this year. An excellent performance against Arsenal at the weekend was enough for Capello to call Walker to the squad to face Montenegro, but such a decision could be reactionary in spite of his talent. Micah Richards is likely to feature next summer as backup for Glen Johnson, but Walker should provide healthy competition – especially if he enjoys a good domestic season. Kyle Naughton has impressed at newly-promoted Norwich City after a summer move from Tottenham (last season he stood out at Championship side Leicester City, scoring five goals), so Capello has several options at right-back.

The left-back position – dominated by Ashley Cole in recent years – is more susceptible. There are fewer up-and-comers in this spot. Kieran Gibbs has a chance to impress in the wake of Bacary Sagna's injury last weekend, which sees the Frenchman sidelined for around three months. If Gibbs can help to steady a leaky Arsenal defence, it will bolster his chances of a call-up next year. Chelsea's Ryan Bertrand has also played for England since the age of 16, but will need to be given the chance to impress there ahead of Cole before an inclusion into the national team.






© Ronnie Macdonald, Flickr

Kieran Gibbs (right) has the chance to shine for Arsenal ahead of England's Euro 2012 campaign

Midfielders


Jack Wilshire (Arsenal), Jack Rodwell (Everton), Scott Sinclair (Swansea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Henri Lansbury (West Ham United – on loan from Arsenal), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Marc Albrighton (Aston Villa), Josh McEachran (Chelsea), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal)

England's midfield has arguably overcome its biggest problem already. The seemingly inevitable selection of both Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard has proven time and time again to be an ineffective partnership, in spite of former individual success. But with Lampard now aged 33 and Gerrard having faced a lengthy spell on the sideline due to injury, this could pave the way for future midfielders to break through.

Jack Wilshire already faces enormous pressure regarding both his domestic and international future. At the age of 19, he has already been tipped for greatness and is likely to be a pivotal figure in the England setup for years to come. There is no doubt that he could play an important holding role from which Fabio Capello forms his midfield, but for this to work he would need the right balance around him. Everton's Jack Rodwell also has a chance to impress and step up from U21 level during Wilshire's period of injury, which will see the teenager out of action until early next year.

Tom Cleverley has been a revelation at Manchester United this year after impressive loan spells at Leicester City, Watford and Wigan Athletic in recent seasons. Only injury has kept him out of Sir Alex's plans lately after a fantastic start to the Premier League with the Red Devils, and should be a part of the England team in years to come.





© Ed Schipul, Flickr 

Tom Cleverley has already been backed by manager Sir Alex Ferguson to play for England


Since transferring from Chelsea in 2010, Scott Sinclair has been outstanding for Swansea – scoring 22 times in the league and helping the Swans gain promotion to the top flight this year. However, although Sinclair is a playmaker, he is predominantly a winger which may see his chances of an England call-up reduced ahead of the likes of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young. Nevertheless, Capello may want to see more of him this season.

Jordan Henderson has already played for England but will need to establish a first-team spot at Liverpool in order to secure a regular spot at international level. The likes of Henri Lansbury, Marc Albrighton, Josh McEachran and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all in a similar position, but are capable of rising through the ranks at their respective clubs in order to catch the eye of Fabio Capello. There are definitely enough young midfielders capable of excelling for England if given the opportunity.

Forwards

Andy Carroll (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Chelsea)

Like the goalkeeping situation, England's availability of strikers is not a huge concern; however, a drop in form or an injury could open up a spot in the starting XI for a young talent.

Andy Carroll had a fantastic start to Premier League life with Newcastle before joining Liverpool in January 2011 for £35 million – a price tag many argue that he will never be able to fulfil. However, Carroll has already impressed Fabio Capello enough to be handed his England debut, and scored in a 1-1 friendly with Ghana. He should feature in next year's squad, but whether he will be a starter rather than an impact player is uncertain.



© k1ngk0ng, Flickr

Andy Carroll has made three appearances for England so far



Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge have had a similar last couple of years. Both enjoyed successful loan spells at other Premier League sides last season (Sunderland and Bolton Wanderers respectively) before returning to their parent clubs, impressing their managers enough to feature regularly in important fixtures. Bearing in mind that said clubs are Manchester United and Chelsea, this should not be underestimated. Both Welbeck and Sturridge were also regular goal scorers at U21 level for England, boosting their chances of a call-up next year.

Barring any major injury or huge drop in form this season, Wayne Rooney is the only dead certainty for England at Euro 2012 – in terms of strikers. The likes of Darren Bent, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch have often been overlooked in the past by Capello, regardless of form. If Welbeck can establish a strong partnership with Wayne Rooney at Old Trafford this season, a call-up is likely. Daniel Sturridge is in a slightly more difficult position due to extra competition at Chelsea, as well as a lack of stability in terms of the line-up. But both possess the ability to succeed for England and should be given an opportunity to impress.

So can England's new Lions succeed where former sides have failed? Whether Fabio Capello will choose to adopt such an approach is uncertain. Whether it would work is unclear. But an inclusion of youth in the Euro 2012 could be just what is needed to help England reach its potential, as well as to meet national expectations. Capello, the media, and fans have all seen what the golden era of players are capable of. Maybe now is the time to see what the future holds.

Monday 3 October 2011

Tottenham winning the war, not just the battle



Spurs starting to look like the Arsenal of old as the balance of power shifts in North London




© Zweifüssler, Flickr


Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 win over local rivals Arsenal yesterday may not have been the classic encounter that football fans have come to expect in recent years. In fact, not only did it fail to live up to its expectation of a fiercely-contested and action-packed derby, it was a relatively quiet, perhaps subdued affair – especially in comparison to the 2008 4-4 classic which saw Tottenham stage an incredible injury-time comeback.

During the match, however, one thing was noticeable. Arsenal are not the top side in North London anymore.

Some Spurs fans may argue that their rivals never were the better side. However, Arsene Wenger has certainly had Arsenal playing at a consistently high level over the last decade, whereas Tottenham have undergone several managerial changes before the appointment of Harry Redknapp at White Hart Lane in 2008 started to steer them in the right direction. In that sense, the majority of neutrals would have considered Arsenal as the stronger side at the end of last season.

Tottenham were not the dominant side against Arsenal yesterday, nor were Arsene Wenger's men particularly poor. But both clubs have made a number of changes and decisions over the last six months which have seen the tables turn.

The biggest difference is in midfield. Arsenal lost two key players over the summer, namely Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively. Those two players alone either scored or set up 39 per cent of Arsenal's 72 league goals last season. Mikel Arteta, who was signed by Wenger from Everton seemingly as a replacement, has a very difficult job on his hands to fill the boots of two world-class playmakers – especially considering Arsenal's ever-growing injury list.

In contrast, Totteham's midfield is a thing of beauty. Harry Redknapp was able to fend off interest from other Premier League clubs in Luka Modric, whilst securing the signing of England international Scott Parker from West Ham United for £5 million in arguably the transfer of the season to date. The starting midfield line-up of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric, Scott Parker and Rafael Van Der Vaart against the Gunners yesterday would have made Arsene Wenger green with envy – especially considering players such as Niko Kranjcar, Tom Huddlestone, Sandro and Jake Livermore are also on the fringes.



© apasciuto, Flickr

How important was it for Tottenham to keep Luka Modric over the summer? 



In recent seasons, Arsenal have managed to cover up their defensive frailties with the ability to create a number of goal-scoring opportunities every game. But with injuries to Laurent Koscielny, Thomas Vermaelen and now Bacary Sagna who suffered a broken leg in yesterday's clash, their defense now seems suspect; this was highlighted after Arsenal conceded 12 goals in two consecutive league matches away from home against Manchester United and Blackburn. The addition of German international Per Mertesacker which seemed so good on paper has done nothing to strengthen Arsenal's backline, and their back four yesterday included midfielder Alex Song. Whilst Tottenham are not renowned for their defensive nature, their options are certainly plentiful in comparison.

Finally, Totteham's loan-signing of Emmanuel Adebayor was another great decision by Harry Redknapp – if not somewhat controversial. The Togolese striker spent three and a half years with Arsenal before moving to Manchester City in 2009. After half a season with Spanish giants Real Madrid, Adebayor signed a year-long loan deal with Spurs this summer and has since found the net three times in five league games. On the contrary, although Arsenal still have Robin Van Persie - undoubtedly one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen - something still does not seem right. The loss of Fabregas and Nasri has left the Dutch forward with a heavy burden to carry. Although Gervinho did join the club this summer, he is a different type of player and, although it is still early in the season it seems unlikely to be able to pick up where the former left off. Marouane Chamakh has failed to impress since arriving at the Emirates Stadium last season, leaving question marks over where Arsenal's goals are going to come from.

Although there was no gulf in class during yesterday's match, at times it did seem as if Tottenham and Arsenal are headed in different directions. Although Arsene Wenger's has his side in the Champions League this season, Tottenham have the stronger squad by far - as indicated by yesterday's starting XI. The slight additions made by Harry Redknapp has improved his side - potentially to a top-four finish - while Wenger's panic-buying combined with several injured players could prove to be his longest season as a manager. At times so far this season, Spurs have looked like the side Arsenal used to be a few years ago – and the side Arsenal fans probably still wish they were.

Sunday 2 October 2011

New-look Leicester impressing at the right time

Leicester City's 4-0 victory over local rivals Derby County yesterday evening could hardly have come at a better time - just before the international break, and in front of a massive Sky television audience.




© Isriya Paireepairit - Flickr

The win was emphatic and maintained Sven-Goran Eriksson's strong record in East Midlands derby matches. But more importantly, it highlighted that this Leicester side is starting to gel.

It is no big secret that the Leicester, recently referred to as the 'Manchester City of the Championship' on Sky Sports, have invested in big-name players this summer. The likes of Paul Konchesky, David Nugent and John Pantsil all have extensive Premier League experience, while Matt Mills and Jermaine Beckford came with heavy price tags. After a sluggish start with some below-par results (and performances), the victory over Derby emphasised the overall quality Leicester City possess.

However, such a victory has been on the cards for some time. On the back of a seven-game unbeaten run and four consecutive clean sheets (including two excellent draws at Cardiff and Middlesborough) it seemed only a matter of time before things would start to click. Matt Mills has been outstanding in his last few outings for the Foxes, while centre-back partner Sol Bamba has excelled all season. As a result, Leicester have conceded just nine goals in 10 league matches, the second fewest in the Championship. The entire back line are playing with confidence; both in themselves and with goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel - and vice versa.

The midfield has suffered injuries - Richie Wellens and Michael Johnson being the latest. But each player raised their game yesterday, which will add a competitive element to the selection process. Andy King and Gelson Fernandes are both playmakers who can change the nature of a match, while Yuki Abe and Neil Danns have been solid when called upon.

Credit must also be paid to the forwards. Darius Vassell has been a revelation this season. The former England international is enjoying his finest form for the Foxes, looking more of a threat playing as an out-and-out striker rather than as a winger. The return of David Nugent yesterday was a huge boost to the side, and youngster Jeffrey Schlupp proved he can cause real problems for defenders with his unique combination of size and pace. When Jermaine Beckford returns from injury, Sven-Goran Eriksson will be spoilt for choice, and also given somewhat of a selection headache - but an enjoyable one.

That takes us to the manager. Sven-Goran Eriksson has done a tremendous job of remaining patient with his players confident in the knowledge that it was only a matter of time before things started to click. He will know that he is under pressure to deliver this season. Yesterday's game against Derby marked his anniversary with Leicester - a year in charge for the Swede. During that time, Leicester have taken 75 points from 46 games - more often than not, a total good enough for the play-offs. And now that he has had the summer to tailor-make a squad, this side is constantly improving.

Expectation is still high, but the hard work is paying off. Teams don't instantly click overnight; it does take time. Leicester enter the international break in eighth place, just one point outside the playoffs. But Sven's men are slowly and surely making things happen, and, after a slow start, they're doing it under the radar.